Chapter 424: Chapter 424

16:12 PM, the temperature on Haiyan Island plummeted suddenly, the sky overcast after the storm.

In the urban area, violent abnormal entities kept emerging from various sewers and buildings, surging toward Lin Xian's team.

The elongated human horror transformed by Gu Zheng was shattered by Lin Xian with a punch from the remnants of the Black Tortoise, the tremendous impact erupting with a deafening sound on the ground, dust and debris flying everywhere.

Three squads gathered around, all having gone through fierce battles—not only because this group from the Sanctum Organization was formidable, but Monica and Ning Jing's side had also been attacked by crystallized ability users who had transformed, making the situation quite tricky.

As for Lin Xian's side, this transformed elongated human horror was terrifyingly powerful. Even KIKI and Fire Bro, the two strongest fighters from the Infinite, couldn't suppress it. If Lin Xian hadn't regained his reconnaissance awareness at the critical moment, this thing would have escaped.

"Any useful information?" KIKI asked.

Ning Jing shook her head, looking solemnly at the human horror that had been blasted into bloody pulp below. "These people have undergone some kind of training—they can actively trigger their transformation. Dealing with them is even harder than regular ability users!"

"They don't seem like an ordinary survivor group. More like a religious organization," Qian Dele added. "They're truly ruthless to their own people."

"Could it be some side effect of the crystallization?" Shu Qin wondered.

"Where did these guys even come from?" Fire Bro crossed his arms. "They sneaked up on the west side of the city without a sound."

"That earlier storm was probably their doing."

Luo Yang projected a holographic image from his mobile terminal—the strange device from before. "This thing is radioactive. I detected traces of the Bait Agent's energy waves, the same kind Vanessa and the others had. But what's odd is, if they wanted to attack us, wouldn't nighttime make more sense...?"

KIKI looked at Lin Xian, whose complexion had improved slightly under Shiori's ability. He took a deep breath and interrupted the discussion.

"Because they can't fully shield this thing. Releasing it during the day makes it easier for them to retreat. Once a chain reaction starts, the marks on us will be hard to remove even by nightfall." Lin Xian glanced at the second-level marks left by the abnormal entities on everyone and said gravely, "The Sanctum Organization came for us, but judging by the situation, their plan has some flaws."

"Lin Xian," KIKI asked him, "any leads?"

Lin Xian panted. Using the brain-machine interface this way was outright madness. If Chu Yan were here, things would be much simpler. Without a psychic ability user, Lin Xian had to risk connecting via mycelium—an extremely unstable method, especially with Gu Zheng on the verge of transformation. One misstep, and he could be assimilated. Thankfully, Shiori was there to help.

Lin Xian stared at the swarming abnormal entities below and said grimly, "The abnormal entities in the surrounding waters were indeed their doing. Now I'm worried Mount Garland and that forbidden artifact might also be linked to the Sanctum Organization. We're trapped on this island—the situation is extremely unfavorable."

"You're saying the anomalies on this island were prepared in advance to target you?" Monica frowned. "Even the Phoenix Society shouldn’t have known about our departure timing. How did they know?"

Lin Xian shook his head. "No idea. That guy kept mentioning some 'Master.' I suspect they've had prolonged contact with the Dark Civilization. And since my mind has been marked by the Dark, I feel like that big guy earlier might have known of my existence." Newest update provıded by 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⚑𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⚑𝓷𝓮𝓽

"You think the Dark Civilization ordered the Sanctum Organization to assassinate you?!" KIKI's expression darkened. "But... why use the Bait Agent? And why did the Oceanic Titan suddenly flee?"

"It didn’t flee..." Shu Qin looked up at the clear sky. "I feel like it's either lurking in the surrounding waters or hidden beyond the clouds. But for some reason, it suddenly went quiet."

"This is bad." Qian Dele removed his helmet and couldn’t help but sigh. "The orbital ring is broken. With no escape by sky or sea, are we trapped here?"

"Trapped?" Monica responded calmly. "Worrying about that is premature. The coming nightfall is the real unknown."

"We’ve spotted numerous large flying abnormal entities along the eastern coast. At a glance, they’re at least special-level," Lin Xian updated Shu Qin on the investigation. "And they’re moving in groups. If they surround the island, we’ll be in deep trouble."

"Ah! We saw a bunch too—all huge monsters!" Shasha groaned. "Why are they all converging here? What the hell did these guys do?!"

"Captain Lin." Haiyan spoke up.

All eyes turned to him.

"This island still holds secrets." Lin Xian removed his power armor helmet, pressing his fingers to his temples, struggling to piece together the fragmented consciousness.

Within Gu Zheng’s consciousness were endless thoughts of submission to the Sanctum and the madness of a shattered worldview. Lin Xian strained to grasp something meaningful but only heard roars of corruption.

Among the fragments, the only useful thing he caught was an environmental scene—a dim underground tunnel filled with corpses and wastewater.

In a dimly lit hall, hundreds of people stood in solemn formations. A blurred figure on a high platform seemed to be speaking, while those below raised their fists in fervent chants...

Then came the sounds of thunder, gunfire, the abyssal echoes of deep water, and the faces of countless monstrous entities.

The most vivid image Lin Xian captured was a room filled with people. At the front was a blue orb—like a hologram or some physical object—emitting an eerie glow. Staring at it, Lin Xian suddenly received a flood of three-dimensional images. Someone was expounding on some ideology, some philosophy, some history...

How synthetic food could solve poverty and hunger. How abolishing the five senses, gender, and pain, breaking reproductive isolation, could free life from disease. Consciousness merging, advancing to higher lifeforms.

"No division, no lies, no pain. When living beings lose sapience, humanity becomes perfect—devoid of wisdom, suffering, or individuality. Blue Star will become an 'Eternal Paradise' of mindless bliss, where beings share happiness by consuming and fusing nerve clusters. Excessive size leads to division and reproduction."

"Civilization's evolution requires life's iteration and consciousness's awakening. Only a civilization without social structures or conflict can reach higher forms. All desires can be shared. All pain can be erased..."

The hypnotic words echoed like a tolling bell in Lin Xian’s mind. The blue orb’s message was more terrifying than thought-imprinting. The neural fragments he’d captured had never been so clear—it felt like he was there, hearing those voices firsthand.

Eternal Paradise? Fused nerve clusters?

This didn’t sound like the Sanctum’s will. It felt like indoctrination from another civilization...!

More abnormal entities emerged from the streets below. While some surrounded them, others charged toward the Infinite, likely drawn by residual Bait Agent traces. Shu Qin paled at the sight.

"Damn it, they’re converging on the Infinite! It’s in danger!"

Lin Xian snapped out of the chaotic mental fragments, drenched in cold sweat. He forcibly pushed aside the hypnotic voice, focusing instead on the underground tunnel scene, then addressed the group.

"Qian Dele, Queen Mo, take your teams back to the Infinite immediately. Relocate the train to the underground tracks near Coastal University and set up defenses. Clear the marks before nightfall."

"Got it," Qian Dele nodded.

Monica looked at Lin Xian. "What about you?"

"There are still plenty of them on the island. The one who escaped used some forbidden artifact—possibly related to what Laine mentioned about controlling Mount Garland. Sister Ning, Xiao Qing, A Bai, Fire Bro—come with me. I think they’re hiding in some sewage system. We need to root them out."

Ning Jing frowned. "You think they’re planning to trigger Mount Garland?"

Lin Xian shook his head. "It’s not that simple. But they definitely have a hideout. And if things go south here, how would they leave?"

"Oh, right. If the Sanctum’s still on the island, there’s still a chance to stop them," KIKI realized.

Fire Bro clenched his fists. "Good. These reckless rats dare ambush us? Let’s burn them all to ashes!"

As the sky darkened and monsters flooded the streets, Lin Xian knew the situation was turning dire. He immediately sent Monica and Qian Dele’s teams back while scavenging the Sanctum’s abandoned vehicles. On one single-person aircraft, they found a navigation path leading straight to a maritime prison on a small island southeast of Haiyan.

"This is it. Let’s move!"

Lin Xian had a bad feeling about that middle-aged man with the forbidden artifact. With night approaching, he couldn’t just wait for trouble to come to him—they had to strike first. He suspected these people had a way to avoid the horde they’d summoned.

Lin Xian and Ning Jing’s group flew southeast at top speed. Based on yesterday’s sunset, they had about an hour left.

Haiyan Prison wasn’t on the main island. As a tourist city, the prison had been built on a small island about 30 nautical miles southeast of Haiyan. In the southeastern waters, a gray-black concrete structure stood isolated like the skeleton of a rotting beast. The outer fences were rusted and broken, twisted as if torn apart by some immense force. The entire prison was walled in, resembling a massive reinforced concrete fortress.

The moment Lin Xian, KIKI, and Ning Jing approached, they sensed something wrong.

"Why are there... zombies here?"

"Survivors who recently turned." Lin Xian surveyed the prison from the high walls. Tents and sheds littered the area, with defensive weapons mounted along the walls. The inner space resembled a natural shelter, even with some greenery planted—likely a stronghold built by Haiyan’s survivors.

But now, only wandering zombies remained. The place was deathly silent, splattered with dark bloodstains, as if the tragedy had just unfolded.

Ning Jing said gravely, "What a waste. Whatever happened here, this looked like a solid safe zone."

"Stay alert. The Sanctum members might still be here." Lin Xian activated mechanical scans. "Look for any underground entrances. They couldn’t have left all their vehicles out in the open."

"Over there!" A Bai pointed to a square deep inside the prison, fenced off separately. A row of large gates stood on one side.

"There’s been intense spirit value fluctuations there."

"Let’s move." Lin Xian immediately headed out, glancing back at KIKI and Xiao Qing. "Protect A Bai and Shiori."

Lin Xian’s group descended from above. Hundreds of Thunderhawk drones materialized, silently firing pulse rays that mowed down zombies, clearing the area instantly. They rushed toward the gates.

A scan revealed the gates had been reinforced. After Lin Xian dismantled them, the inner prison doors had already collapsed, revealing a dark passageway. This was a storage area—damp, pitch-black, reeking of decay. Further down, a basement used for storage had caved in, leaving a gaping hole. The sound of dripping water echoed in the emptiness.

Lin Xian sent drones with lights down and discovered a massive pipe. But contrary to expectations, this wasn’t just a sewage line. Given its scale, it seemed more like a tsunami drainage channel.

"Why would a prison on this island need such a huge drainage pipe?" Ning Jing sensed something off.

Shu Qin remarked, "Might be some old military facility."

"Lin Xian, are we going down there?" KIKI asked.

Before Lin Xian could answer, footsteps echoed from the pipe below—the crisp sound of leather shoes on flooring, unnervingly out of place in this ruined environment.

Just as Lin Xian thought someone was approaching, what appeared in sight wasn’t a person—but a pair of severed feet!